The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1887-12-24

Things might adjust themselves very natur
ally.
) For he was exceedingly popular with
young people of both sexes, this brother
of mine, and most deseryedly SO; he took
all my childish loves away from me with
out any effort; of all our friends only
Aunt Helen seemed to love me best
And SO fancied if he and Lila were tc
fancy each other, marry, and leave me to
live my quiet life with Aunt Helen,
. should be quite content.
We did not see Lila until the next day
She had been sea-sick, had lost trife Of
the bloom from her face, and Aunt Helen
! had packed her away to sleep it back. II
must have all come back at least, when
| met her, Christmas morning, | wondered
, if any face were ever fresher or brighter
than hers. Her hair was soft and yellow
and shining her eyes honest and cleal
and blue, her head well poised, her pink,
checked face smooth and round, yet deli
cate and winning. / looked to see what
5 fault / could find in her features her
mouth might have been shade too wide,
f her brow thought too low, but altogeth-
er most bewitching whole l forgave
Aunt Helen for her matchmaking inc i
nations, then and there.
II have brought her as Christmas
gift" Aunt Helen said, when she intro
duced us. "And want you to be quite
as good to her, boys, as if she were really
your cousin.
ave shall probable be better to her, -
said Earnest, laughing. "There are posi-
bilities in the situation now, and if she
were our cousin there would be none at
all, though we would be likely to have no
end of jolly time, in any case, ,"
Lila laughed, too, though she did not
more than half understand him; they
were at once the best of friends And | 2
well we were the best Of friends, too {;
and before the day was over l had ceased
to think of her as | had planned to think
the night before, in the light Of good
wife for Earnest.
She spoke English prettily, pausing a
little at times, as if to crowd back Ger
man word that came to her lips out Of
turn. | speak German passably, and ad
dressed her in it as we were sitting quietly
together late in the day. The tears came
to her eyes when she answered me, but
there was no halting speech upon her part
now, The words came full and free, SO
rapidly I could scarcely keep pace with
them, her face lighted eagerly, and she
seemed, if possible, more beautiful than
before.
That was the beginning Of strangely
happy days for me. For once, the course
of true love ran smoothly. Lila was
friendly with Earnest, but nothing more,
being rather reserved with him, at times,
but with me she was always at her bFigh-
est, happiest and best, We exchanged
| German and English lessons, we sang
together, rode together; Lila always ran
to meet me when she heard my key in the
door when came home at night, and
Aunt Helen saw, and smiled approval.
One evening when | opened the door,
Lila did not receive me as usual. | went
in, passed through the long parlors into
the conservatory and sat down, my mind
6lled with happy, earnest thought. !
! would delay no longer; the winter was
1 nearly over, Lila had sufficient opportuni-
ty 10 make up her mind for me, | have
decided almost from the beginning that she
should be my wife. l felt almost certain
of her love. She was as Innocent as
child and did not conceal her fondness
for me, so why should | wait to declare
my affection for her
Aunt Helen came in quest of me, and
though 1 much preferred to be alone with
my thoughts, put aside the feeling and
listened, not unwillingly, while she declar-
ed her belief that Lila loved me as much
as could wish, She had scarcely finish
ed speaking when some one entered the
parlors, and as we listened moment to
whom it could be, We heared Earnest say
"I did not dream you loved me, Lila, or
| should have spoken long ago. | feared
you cared for Richard
~ do care for Richard, she repli-
ed "he is like my own brother might be,
but you-it is you, Earnest, that love T.
This confession came to me like flash
of lightning from clear, blue sky; for
some moments | sat as dumb as though
deprived of speech then | looked up and
saw Aunt Helen's face was white and dangry.
I feared an outbreak, and, therefore, was
relieved to hear Lila and Earnest go out
of the room and ascend the staircase; they
were evidently in quest of my aunt.
at shall not be y said Aunt Helen.
aThe foolish girl does not know her
own mind; the idea of her falling in love
with Earnest when you were near !
I shall oppose their marriage, and no doubt
she will be reasonable in time.
any dear aunt, if you love me you will
not do what, in your moments anger, you
threaten to do | could never force, or
urge, or even entreat any woman to marry
me who did not love me well, and when
Won come to think about it, Lila has not
chosen so badly after ALL Earnest is a
good boy, and has been very, very popular
always"
aBut he has not been fair and open
about this; l shall tell him so, and I'll
Lila, too"
aNo, am sure you will not do that,
because it is not right. Let us be just
though the heavens fall L think the
heavens have fallen, but in any case let us
be Just. Do you think, Aunt Helen, if
Lila loved me instead of my brother, l
would let him take her from me? But he
did not know it was my Christmas gift he
was appropriating, only ourselves knew
what you had planned. We had equal
opportunities Of wooing Lila; perhaps mine
where even greater than his, because you
were constantly with her, and you favored
me. No, all has been quite fair; have
been beaten because l am not so well-6tted
for winning women's hearts as Earnest
is"
sYou would make better husband than
he"
.The best husband for any woman
provided he is an honorable man-is the
man who loves her, and especially whom
she loves. And it is not right to say that
Lila does not know her own mind; we
must give her the privilege of choosing for
herself
aGirls rarely do know how to choose in
i s,,ob = ooso R;chard. whom 7 was a oirl